Browsed byTag: business growth

How many times have we heard it? The secret to success is to have a gratitude practice — write down three or five or 10 things every day you’re grateful for.

Now, I’m not saying that’s not a good thing to do. Any sort of practice that helps you focus on all the wonderful things you have versus what you don’t have is a good thing.

But, the problem with that gratitude practice is that it doesn’t go nearly far enough. You see, the secret of a gratitude practice, what makes it a truly powerful, life-changing practice, is to tap into the FEELING of gratitude.

If you can truly feel grateful, that energy is what will attract more of what you want to you.

But, it goes even deeper than that. Gratitude is actually such a powerful emotion that, if you regularly practice feeling it, it can transform your life. Here are three other ways you can use gratitude to grow your business:

Turn around feelings of entitlement, grumpiness, or general dissatisfaction with your business.

It happens to all of us. We decide we’re done with our business. We’re running off to live in a hut on a beach.

Now, in some cases, there is a good reason for those feelings—maybe they’re an indication of the fact that we’ve actually built the wrong business for us. But, in many cases, we’re just experiencing a moment of entitlement.

No, entitlement-related feelings aren’t only for the Millennials. If you’ve ever had a moment where you found yourself saying things like:

• “This should be easier.”

• “I don’t understand why I’m not successful yet.”

• “I’ve done everything I’ve supposed to and I’m not successful yet.”

• “This isn’t fair!”

I hate to break it to you, but you’re having an entitlement moment.

And, it’s okay. We’re human. Feelings of entitlement are a part of being human. Millennials certainly didn’t invent them.

But, if you’re trapped in that feeling, it’s not going to help you grow your business. One of the best ways to shift that feeling and get yourself out of it is to focus on feeling gratitude, instead. Flip your perspective, and find something you can feel deeply grateful for to concentrate on.

Supercharge what you want to manifest. (Ah, this is a fun one.)

I first learned about this in the book “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself” by Dr. Joe Dispenza, but here’s a (very) simplified version of what he teaches.

If you want to manifest a certain outcome for yourself, like hitting a specific income goal, you can supercharge that manifestation by using gratitude.

One of the best ways to supercharge your business growth and your income (while getting your message out there in a bigger way) is to grow you online social influence.

After all, when you have a strong online social influence, you’ve built credibility and visibility around your expertise, which means your ideal clients are likely seeking you out, excited to work with you. You probably also enjoy the results you get from the power of word of mouth marketing to sell your products, services, book, programs and more.

But be warned—building your online influence isn’t easy (and there are some hard truths you should know about it before you even get started, which I share here). The good news is there IS a path you can follow if you’re ready to step up and start growing your social influence.

That’s why I’ve created this checklist—to show you that path, and to provide you with links to additional articles and resources, so you can begin developing your social influence.

The way you communicate your message is just as important as your message itself.

For example—many self-help experts have a message around love being the most powerful force in the world. But, the ones who rise to the top have a distinct way of communicating that message so it rises to the top.

Most health experts have a similar message around healthy habits. So how do they differentiate themselves from their competition? By communicating that message in their own unique voice.

Two quick tips are to read more and write more. (The more you read and the more you write, the more you’ll start to develop your unique voice.) But most importantly, don’t be afraid to share your personality. Let people see the real you—your quirks, your loves, your rants, your vulnerabilities. That’s what people want to see—the real you.

_____ Are you in integrity with your message?

There’s nothing less persuasive or compelling than being a hypocrite.

Really, who wants to follow a hypocrite? (Think of Dante’s Inferno—he devoted a whole circle of hell just to hypocrites.)

Now that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be aligned 100% of the time. For instance, if you’re a health coach, you can occasionally pig out on chocolate cake. But, then be honest about it. Let people know you’re human, and you occasionally cheat and it’s okay if they occasionally cheat. (In fact, sharing your flaws and being honest about them will likely make you even more relatable to prospects.)

But, if you’re a health coach and you have some nasty health habits you’re not owning up to, people are going to sense that you’re out of integrity. They might not know why, exactly, but they’ll feel something is off. And they won’t be all that interested in following you.

_____ Are you making a difference in people’s lives?

Most people want to follow someone they can look up to, right?

One great way to be that type of person is to make a difference in people’s lives.

A lot of people have a dream or a goal to leave the world a better place than they found it, and if you’re working toward that vision, people will be naturally attracted to you, so they can learn from you.

In addition, if you help people, those people are going to be more inclined to follow you.

I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that a key trait for most successful people is their generosity and commitment to being of service to others. So, if you want to be successful and grow your social influence, upping your generosity may be exactly what you need to do.

_____ Are you putting your best work out there?

For years, the prevailing wisdom we heard as entrepreneurs was to focus on your marketing, rather than the quality of your work, because “he who has the best marketing wins.”

That actually hasn’t proven to be completely true. Yes, there’s no question you still need marketing, and having a solid marketing plan you consistently follow will go a long way to help you attract a steady stream of clients, customers, and buyers.

But, marketing on its own isn’t going to cut it. You also need to make sure you’re putting your best work out there.
Marketing can help you get a first-time buyer, yes. But, if that buyer has a bad experience, almost no amount of marketing will convince him or her to come back a second time.

In addition, if everyone has good marketing, then the only thing that separates one business from another is the quality of what they’re offering.

_____Have you chosen the right communication vehicle for you?

Having a large social influence typically means having a lot of followers.

So, if you want to have a lot of followers, you need something for them to follow. (Makes sense, right?)

Whether it’s a blog or a podcast or a youtube channel or a Facebook group or something else (or even a combination of vehicles) you’re likely going to have to build something for people to be a part of.

If you’re not sure which is the best communication vehicle for you, you may want to take my “Love Your Marketing Assessment” in my “Love-Based Online Marketing” book, to help you figure that out.

_____Have you worked through your mindset and/or subconscious blocks?

When you decide to step up and become more visible so you can start making a bigger difference, you may discover you have some mindset or subconscious blocks that are keeping you from making the progress you want to.

First off, this is completely normal. Chances are you already WOULD have a big social influence if you didn’t have any blocks getting in your way.

There’s no better way to grow your business online than by growing your influence.

When you’ve built a strong online influence, it likely looks like you have a large online community who follows you. For instance, maybe you have a big email list or lots of Facebook followers or a popular blog or podcast or Youtube channel. (Or a combination of the above.)

And, of course when you have that, it’s so much easier to build a successful, profitable business.

But, having online influence is more than just collecting followers on the various social networks. It also means people are actually reading your words and listening to your message.

And, when that happens, it’s truly magic. Because then you’re in a position to share your gifts and message in a much bigger way.

And when you want to make a big difference in the world, who wouldn’t want to have an influence?

The problem, of course, is how … how do you do it? How do you grow your online influence (especially if you’re just starting out), and do it in a way that’s authentic and doesn’t feel slimy, or like you’re twisting people’s arms? (In other words, how can you do it in a love-based way?)

Well, while it’s not particularly complicated or difficult to develop and grow your online influence, it DOES take some work. And you also need to accept a few hard truths. Let’s take a look at three of them:

This inner work can be tough—I get it. But, the clearer you are, the more people will be able to decide if you’re someone they want to listen to, and become a part of your community.

The less clear you are, the more likely people will ignore you—not because they aren’t interested in what you have to say, but because they’re too busy to try and figure out if you’re someone they want to pay attention to.

2. Be authentic. People are savvy. They can sense if you’re walking your walk, or if you’re just telling people to do one thing while you do something else.

And, there’s nothing that has less influence than a hypocrite.

The more you and your business are in alignment with your message, the more influence you’re going to have.

At the bare minimum, it’s important to reflect what you offer in your business. So, if you’re in the health industry, make sure your health habits mirror what you teach. If you teach marketing, make sure your own marketing is in order.

But, you may want to look deeper. Are you someone who pays your team and other contractors on time? Do you believe in investing in yourself (since you’re asking others to invest in themselves through you)?

It may not seem like this would move the needle much, but it really does. If you believe in Law of Attraction, you know that the more you have your own act together, the more the Universe will deliver to you. But, even if you don’t, if affects how YOU are showing up. If you’re out of integrity, it likely will show up in YOUR energy, which people will sense even if they never say anything or are even completely aware of it. And that will affect how people see you, and their willingness to be in your community.

3. It’s going to take time. Ah, this one is tough. Building online influence isn’t going to happen overnight. It might not even happen in six months. Or a year.

People need time—time to get to know you. To see if they like what you’re about. To see if they resonate with your message. To see if they resonate with YOU.

To make things worse, all of this happens on THEIR time, not yours. You need to land some clients because you need money for next month? Tough. No one is going to be compelled to follow you (much less buy your products and programs) because you need the money.

There is no question this is a long-tailed marketing strategy, which by definition means it’s going to take time … BUT once it happens, it will start to take on a life of its own.

I’m going to start by saying this is a pretty big topic. There are a lot of strategies and tactics out there to help you get clients. There’s really no way I could possibly cover all the different strategies and tactics out there.

Which is why I’m only going to cover one big secret.

And the best part about this big secret? It requires no fancy software, no complicated systems, no huge team, no big budgets … or really any budget.

It’s simple and anyone can do it to get clients, no matter if you just started your business yesterday or if you’re a seasoned pro who has owned their business for twenty years.

Want to know what it is?

Here it is: consistency.

Yes, I know it’s not as sexy as running a Facebook tripwire campaign or starting your own television show. But, really, when all the smoke of the cool tactics clears, what’s left is dependable, but boring, consistency.

You’ve likely heard the adage that it takes an average of 7 follow ups before your customers or clients will say yes to your offers. (Some experts have said that’s too low and it actually takes a lot more “touches” to get clients.)

People need time to get to know you, to see your content, to read your marketing materials, and decide if what you’re offering is right for them.

But, even more than that, your potential customers and clients ARE watching you. They’re watching if you keep your word, if you show up when you said you would, if you finish what you started.

They want to make sure if they say yes to you, you’ll deliver what you promised.

And consistency is a big part of that.

It really doesn’t matter what you strategy you pick to get more clients — Facebook ads, blogs, podcasts, something else. But, whatever you pick, use it consistently.

Now, you may be pooh-poohing this right now — oh this is just too easy. Being consistent, bah. I need to know if I should be posting videos on YouTube or doing Facebook Lives.

But, here’s the thing. The internet is changing so fast that what’s hot today won’t be so hot tomorrow. But if you’re consistently showing up — especially when most other people aren’t — that’s going to make a bigger difference then whatever marketing strategy you pick.

Still think this is just too easy and basic? Well, I have a few more points that may flip your perspective — watch below:

No matter what you’re trying to do — start a business, grow a business, lose weight, write a book, start a new career — having a mentor who can answer questions and help guide you through can be hugely helpful.

The challenge is, how do you make sure you’re finding the right mentor for you?

Well, there are a few things to consider when choosing a mentor:

1. Get clear on precisely what type of mentor you’re looking for. Are you looking for someone who is more of a coach? Or someone who is more of a consultant?

Coaches by definition will ask you a lot of questions and help you sort out what’s right for you. When someone is coaching you, they’re not giving you answers — they’re asking YOU questions so you determine the answer for yourself.

Consultants are the folks who will tell you what to do. They’re the ones who will recommend strategies and ideas.

Most people, even people who call themselves coaches, are some sort of a mix between a coach and a consultant. If someone is telling you what to do and telling you to follow a system, that isn’t coaching. It’s consulting.

So, the question is — what are you looking for? Do you want someone to give you advice and a system and a structure to follow? Or do you want someone who can help you get clear on what you want to create?

Or are you looking for a little of both? Someone who can help coach through you your mindset blocks while providing you with a system and a strategy.

It doesn’t really matter who you’re looking for — what’s important is to get clear on who you are looking for so you can make sure you’re hiring the right person.

2. Make sure you’re actually hiring the type of person you want to work with. Ask them questions. Read their testimonials. Listen to your gut. This is an important decision and you want to make sure you’re hiring the right person.

But, making sure you’re a good match with your mentor is just the tip of the iceberg. You also need to make sure you’re a match with my next step.

3. If you’re looking for a system or a strategy to follow, make sure this is a system or strategy that you actually want.

One thing that I’ve seen over and over is entrepreneurs hiring a mentor to help them build a business. The mentor helps them build the same business the mentor has. Which is all well and good if that’s the business you want.

But, what if it isn’t?

That’s where the problem comes in — you’ve built this business, and maybe it’s even pretty successful and profitable, but you hate it.

Now what?

(Note — my Love-Based Money podcast is full of interviews with entrepreneurs who, much to their chagrin, realized they had built the wrong business.)

The answer to that is another Flip It!, but for now, I would suggest doing some research and really feeling into what sort of business you want and then making sure the mentor you’re hiring actually has that business.

If you’re unclear about what sort of business you desire or what your best suited for, it may be smarter to hire a coach to help you get clear on that first before you figure out what system you want to use.

If you’re trying to grow your business and you’re not feeling like you’re getting the results you want, I would say one of 3 things is going on:

You’re taking a lot of action, but it’s not the RIGHT action, and that’s why you aren’t seeing results. Maybe the marketing strategy you’re following isn’t the right strategy for your specific situation, or maybe you need better copy for your emails.

This is probably the easiest one to fix — and it’s also the one everyone assumes is the problem. Hence all the marketing out there that is promising you that you really could be getting results, if you only knew this one tiny little-known secret.

And sometimes, this is precisely what’s going on. But, if you’ve tried tweaking your marketing strategy or putting up a new Facebook ad and it’s still not working, then let’s move to number 2.

You’re taking a lot of action and it’s the right action, but it’s just going to take some time. The harsh truth is — success takes time. Dan Kennedy, who is a famous copywriter and business strategist, once said he’s met a lot of millionaires that their bank account just hasn’t caught up to them yet.

So, how do you know if it’s this one? If you’re seeing small, incremental signs of success. Typically if you’re on the right path.

You’re actually not really taking all the consistent action you think you’re taking.

There’s a story about Tony Robbins where at one of his events, a man stood up and said “I’ve done everything possible to grow my business and nothing is working.” And Tony said “okay, tell me 10 things you did.” And the man pauses and says “I guess I only did 1 or 2 things” and sits back down.

The point is — what we think we’re doing and what we’re actually doing may not be the same thing.

One of the most difficult things is to get out of our own head and our story so we can clearly see our actions. It is really easy to get sucked into all the crap in our head and be able to judge what we are or aren’t doing.